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February 23, 2009

The giveaway is for the pink skirt only. It is made from six yards of nylon chiffon. So fluffy and soft, like butter cream icing on a cupcake. Molly loved to gather the fluff in her hands and run around the room laughing madly. Lily enjoyed twirling. When your little ones are twirling in a nylon chiffon pettiskirt your camera can do no wrong. Seriously. Just point and shoot. The skirt does like 90% of the work.Last year I fell in love with these skirts. I had wanted to buy one for Lily and one for Molly to wear for their first and fourth birthday party. However, in the end, the price gave me pause. If any of you have seen these before, they are chiffon pettiskirts made famous by the Kaiya Eve line. If you buy them from her or her any of her competitors, they retail for $80-$100 a piece. Although, recently I've seen some on etsy for only $60. Still, sadly out of my price range. Especially seeing as I would be buying dos.

So imagine my surprise when I found a Martha Stewart interview with Kaiya Eve desinger Kandi Lightner who demonstrated how exactly to recreate her gorgeous skirts.

I'll let you in on some of the little secrets I had to learn the hard way. First, you CAN'T use polyester chiffon. It frays like you'd never believe. AND you can't find nylon chiffon anywhere but online! Here is where I bought mine. Good news, it's only $2.25 a yard, bad news shipping is like $10. UPDATED CHIFFON INFO AT BOTTOM OF POST.

Second you should build it from the bottom up rather than the top down. That way you just sew in a straight line rather than a gathered circle.

Third, you have to know how to 'shirr'. I didn't, and Martha and Kandi didn't let me in on it either. Apparently you need elastic thread which you wind on the bobbin by hand so that it is not stretched tight. Set your stitch to the longest setting and then sew down the middle. This should gather the fabric.

I used that method with the first skirt I attempted- the polyester chiffon mess. With my second attempt I thought I'd outwit Martha and use a 'Gathering Foot'. When I first used it I thought it was the bees knees! That is until I stitched for longer than five minutes.

Maybe I wasn't using it correctly but it kept unscrewing all the screws on the needle and gathered the fabric underneath as well as the fabric on top. In the end I spent all day on something I eventually had to rip apart to start over again. Lesson learned....never undermine Martha. She always knows best.

Lastly, you need to purchase about five yards of fabric to make one skirt. The directions tell you how many pieces and how long and wide but not how much to buy. If you are making a contrasting fluff you should buy equal parts of each color- 2.5 and 2.5.

When I was trying to come up with a name for the skirt I considered something to do with jellyfish. Since the bottom fluff reminded me of the ruffles on their tentacles. In the end, I didn't think taking pictures at an aquarium would yield positive results. The strange thing was that when I asked Lily what she thought the skirts reminded her of she answered....jellyfish. I swear I hadn't said a word about them to her.We've been meaning to get down to the Baltimore aquarium. I think we just have fish on the brain.

NEW. Fellow blogger Allison, let me in on another site selling nylon chiffon for less money. Here.I'll be posting frequently this week. So please come back soon to see all Grosgrain's new goodies.

Last day for posts is Friday 3/06/09.Winnerwill be announced Sunday!

As usual, if you would like a chance to win this pettiskirtjust link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.

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Oh, I too have been admiring these skirts, wondering HOW OH HOW to make one (since yes, they are well outside of my price range for buying two, especially.) Thanks for the link! And for the giveaway! This one is gorgeous.

I yearn to have your creative mind! My mother sewed my dresses when I was younger and now I have triplets 2 of which are girls and I have been begging her to pull it out of the closet. Your pieces are definetly one of a kind that would make one hell of a closet!

thank you for such great insider info on the making the skirt. Oddly enough, I watched that same Martha months ago and saved the episode on our tivo. I came across it again two nights ago and thought, "I should make that." Now I feel more confident with the tips you shared. And yes, I wasn't sure what they meant by "shirring". Your description is perfect.

You inspired me to blog about this on my site! My daughter is growing out of her $80 skirt, and I know she'd LOVE another one! (shoot, I want one!) I can't wait to get started on this project! THANK YOU!

Now this is seriously FUN! I can see the jellyfish. Thank you for the time to link the pattern details and extra help. I am not sre my skills are up to Nylon Chiffon - I hope I win yours :) if I do not i may be forced to learn

I have been looking at these skirts for a long time. They are waaaaaay out of my price range. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed and will resort to making my own if I don't win.Thanks so much for your kind giveaways!

I always think I can make it through life without learning to sew or owning a sewing machine...but then it's people like you who make me see my need!! These skirts are precious!! You are so sweet to do a giveaway!

I'm amazed that you made one of these. I have wanted one for my little girl, but agree that the price is steep. Thanks for the tutorial, though I think my chances would be better at winning than attempting one myself.

Oh my heck..that is just so adorable I can't even stand it!! I am in the same boat a student salary makes it hard to buy cute stuff like this for my little princess..oh and she would love it. And how nice of you to post how to make them too!!

I have really concidered buying two of these for my girls. I just could never justify it. But we always oogle them when flipping through Chasing Fireflies. But even with you helpful instructions, I could never manage to pull one together! Well done, Its gorgous.You are linked:)

I am so in love with the pettiskirts!!!! Thank you so much for sharing directions.... kind of intimidating to a pretty new sewer! lol But if I don't win, I might get ballsy and give it a try! I am with you, buying for 2 girls is very expensive with all of the incredible stuff that is out there!!!! ** Your girls are just way too cute!!!**

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!! I love, love, love pettiskirts!!! Never before have I wanted to win on your site more than now!!!!!!!!! I hope I'm lucky, my daughter would FREAK!! Okay, maybe *I* would freak more, haha!!!! :)

OH MYYY. I have a little girl, I am a photographer, I have been dreaming of these in my sleep for the last year and ewwwww. . . I would LOVE to have one. I LOVE THESE! GOOD job for being such a fab seamstress!

GAH!! You have NO IDEA how much I too wanted one of these skirts but wasn't willing to pay the heafty price tag!!!! I ALMOST bought one for my daughters 3rd birthday but opted not to! I then looked into making one but that seemed like way too much work! So I am REALLY hoping I win this....hint hint... :D Beautiful work as always!

OMG, that is so beautiful. My new daughter would look amazing in that in a couple of years...Great work!!! Im keeping my fingers crossed....im over at http://kyla-alex-twopeasinapod.blogspot.com/Cheers Kyla

I made two of these last fall for a dear friend in exchange for a photo session. My daughter fell in love & wanted one so badly! But they were so frustrating & time consuming that I have no desire to make another one. She would absolutely adore this one!

So beautiful. I've no idea if this would fit my daughters, but I have to try! I can barely sew 100% cotton with my sewing machine, I'd better not attempt the nylon (or any other kind) of chiffon. Ooooh I hope I win!

I've seen these around and loved them but it's just not in the budget. I never considered making one. Thanks for the tips!! Of course if I win the giveaway, I'll only have to make one. I have two sweet daughters who would both go crazy for this.

Linking this very minute! I've been meaning to make these for my girls since Christmas but haven't got around to it. I really hope I win so I'll only have to make 1 instead of 2! Plus it would inspired me to get on the ball and do it!

what a wonderful job you have done! i have been in exactly the same situation as you (admiring, sadly unable to purchase, seeing on martha stewart...) however, i could tell the directions were lacking and could not fill in the gaps...is there anyway to enter without "linking back"? i dont have a blog ( i have one, but no one reads it anyhow) that i can link from :( but i really really want to have a chance to win... beth(at)odditycomics(dot)com

Okay I SO hope I will win this one. I was in the hospital over my daughters birthday and so we did not get to do anything super special and this would be SO much fun! WOW! So generous of you to give it away as usual!!! I *heart* this site!!! *Pick me*

oh I watched that episode... and I remember thinking oh MAN as expensive as they are it would be far better to buy one! Good for you for learning how to do it yourself and working through the challenges! Well I hope to have one someday! They are beautiful!

I hope it is me, I would love this for my girls, and for my stash of photography props. They are beautiful and I doubt I would ever figure out how to make them. Great Job oh and did I say I hope you pick me.

If I win this darling skirt I would give it to my older sister. She is having the first baby girl in our family of 5 girls. So far the sisters have only had boys and finally we get a niece to dress up in butter cream pink fluff. YIPPIE!

how amazing...you are the answer to my long and tedious search of trying to find a pettiskirt that i could afford! my little girl loves dancing and spinning. I have been dying to get her a pettiskirt to twirl in, but like you, have only come across those that are out of my budget:) Thank you for the sewing tips as well. If I'm not the lucky winner than I'll have to try my hand (or beg someone else) at making it.

I'm so loving these. Wonder if you'd give a couple more tips... I checked out Martha's site and video, and the skirt they made seemed pretty small. Would you share the measurements you used for each tier's piece? Also, did you end up shirring the pieces after all? I have elastic thread for that but have never done it, but also have a ruffling foot... Have you ever considered making a tutorial? I bet you'd be fabulous! Thanks for the tips and inspiration. I'm off to find some nylon chiffon!hollowaj(at)georgetown(dot)edu

You are so talented, and your kids are blessed to have you. Those skirts are amazing!!! I would love to attempt one, but I have minimal sewing talent and even with your tips and tricks, I'm sure I would be had! I just need to win!!

Wow! I didn't realize so many people would be trying to win this! LOL 8) Thank you for the directions and the tips as well. I don't know how to sew, but maybe I can find someone to teach me. 8)Please enter my name into your drawing. get_creative_rebecca@yahoo.com